A toy bead is a spherical or partly spherical pearl comprising an internal path adapted to receive a yarn so that a user can thread a plurality of beads on the yarn to form a bracelet, necklace, ring or similar piece of jewelry for kids.
A toy bead is well known in the art and is mainly used as a recreational activity for kids to make piece of jewelry.
EP 3037577A1 discloses a beads connecting toy comprising a base for fabricating a beaded toy which is based on a strand set member which has a strand set locking portion formed at one end side and at the other end side thereof a beading strand on which beads are put, two base strands and an engaging strand which interweaves the beading strand, the two base strands and the beads together for engagement, a one-end-side locking portion which is provided at one end side of the connecting toy main body and where the strand set locking portion is locked in place, and an other-end-side locking portion which is provided at the other end side of the connecting toy main body and where the two base strands and the beading strand are locked in place.
Such beads connecting toy enable children to make a bracelet with a certain degree of difficulty which is appropriate to teenagers. It is not suitable for young children and infants for which such beads connecting toy is too difficult to handle. In addition, once a piece of jewelry is built, the only way to create another piece of jewelry is to undo totally the first piece of jewelry and to restart a second creation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,010B1 discloses an ornamental chain made up of successive elements, in which at least one of said elements includes a hollow body inside which an insert is fixed that is designed to retain a link member that is linked to an adjacent element of the chain, said insert being constituted by at least one sleeve. The sleeve includes a slot that is wide enough to enable the shank of the link member to pass there through.
Such ornamental chain enables a child to plug together successive beads by use of link members arranged between beads. It is therefore possible to easily build up some bracelet or similar piece of kid jewelry and to undo such piece of jewelry without major difficulty. However, one drawback of this toy is that it uses small pieces of link members that can be lost which will make the toy useless. In addition, the creativity is limited to the succession of beads used and can become boring after a couple of plays.
The invention aims at overcoming at least some of the drawbacks of known toy beads.